University of West Alabama president calls for probe by board of trustees

Sunday

Mar 2, 2014 at 11:00 PMMar 2, 2014 at 11:33 PM

The president of the University of West Alabama is calling for an investigation by the UWA board of trustees into allegations that some of its members and university administrators tampered with the annual presidential evaluation to skew results. UWA President Richard Holland released the 19-page report ahead of the trustees meeting today at the Livingston campus, during which the board is scheduled to consider whether to extend Holland’s contract.

By Ed EnochStaff Writer

The president of the University of West Alabama is calling for an investigation by the UWA board of trustees into allegations that some of its members and university administrators tampered with the annual presidential evaluation to skew results.

UWA President Richard Holland released the 19-page report ahead of the trustees meeting today at the Livingston campus, during which the board is scheduled to consider whether to extend Holland’s contract.

Holland’s current contract, renewed in 2009, ends Oct. 1. Holland wants his contract extended until 2016 to complete a number of goals, including boosting enrollment and increasing UWA’s funding base. Holland said he hopes to retire to the classroom and resume teaching as a biology professor.

Holland’s addendum calls for an investigation and “appropriate response” by the board and Gov. Robert Bentley, who is a member, and warns that the tampering and related actions could result in the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, UWA’s accreditation organization, placing the university on probation.

Holland’s recent report expands comments released in December criticizing an annual presidential evaluation by an outside consultant as vague and largely hearsay.

In December, Holland alleged the annual evaluation — which typically precedes a vote on the renewal of the president’s contract — was “skewed” by “certain parties” who interfered by including hand-selected biased respondents to provide negative feedback.

In the addendum posted on the university’s website, Holland alleged that Vice President of Institutional Advancement Clemit Spruiell, aided by Business College Dean Ken Tucker, provided trustee Jerry Smith a list of respondents handpicked to provide negative feedback. Holland claims Spruiell provided trustee Terry Bunn a list of concerns about Holland’s leadership of the university. Holland said he obtained copies of emails from Spruiell’s university account to the trustees from UWA servers.

Holland said his relationship with Spruiell had been strained for “a long time.”

Tucker said he was surprised by his inclusion, adding that the dispute was between the board and the administration.

“It has nothing to do with me,” Tucker said.

Tucker said the information about him in Holland’s report was inaccurate and false, but he added that he did not feel it was appropriate to comment further at this time.

Attempts to contact Spruiell and Smith were unsuccessful Friday.

Holland also claims he was told during a conversation in August 2013 with Bunn and Smith that his contract would not be extended beyond the fall.

When contacted Friday about the allegations, Bunn provided a written response.

“It is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees of the University of West Alabama to take actions in the best interest of the institution. It is not in the best interest of the institution for the Board of Trustees to engage in exchanging accusations in the press with President Holland or anyone else concerning the governance of the university. There is a prescribed process and a designated forum for the consideration of the accusations President Holland has distributed to the press. This matter will be handled through that process and in the appropriate forum,” Bunn wrote in an email.

Holland said that he believes generally his relationship with the board has been good, though he acknowledged growing tension during the past couple years.

Tensions between trustees and the president periodically flared during board meetings in 2013, when some board members expressed repeated frustration over the timeliness of the administration’s response to requests for information and handling of athletics and outreach to donors.

Holland said he is unsure of how the conflict developed, but he traced the tension to a disagreement about how the relationship between the administration and board works.

Holland said the board sets policy but that the president manages daily operations and reports to the trustees.

“I think it is people who are frustrated with me because I don’t do what they want,” Holland said of daily affairs.

Holland argued that the communication between the trustees and Spruiell circumvented his office and violated the board bylaws and code of ethics and SACS’ standards meant to guard against micromanagement by trustees.

“You can’t afford this type of publicity,” Holland said.

The president said he fears the specter of censure by SACS could stifle efforts to grow enrollment at UWA.

“That is not a scare tactic, that is a fact,” he said.

Without accreditation, UWA cannot receive financial aid, Holland said, noting that about 86 percent of students received some form of financial aid.

UWA was placed on probation by the accreditation group in December 2003 because of bitter infighting among trustees, who at one point split into competing factions, and micromanagement of university affairs. The university was removed from probation a year later after making changes to comply with accreditation standards. After a recent review, SACS reaffirmed UWA’s accreditation in December 2013.

“It took us two years to work out from under (probation). Now it is starting over,” Holland said.

A majority of the 15-member board has changed since that time.Mike Holliman, president emeritus of the University of West Alabama National Alumni Association and a supporter of Holland, said Friday that he was filing a formal complaint with SACS based on the allegations of micromanagement of daily affairs. SACS officials did not return calls for comment by press time.

“As a past school administrator, that bothers me quite a bit,” Holliman said.

Holliman described the complaint as a difficult decision, but he said it was the best course of action.

“It’s hard to do, but in the long run, this can’t go on,” Holliman said. “I think the university will be a better place.”

Holliman wrote an open letter in support of Holland, which was posted on the

Facebook page “We Love UWA,” which was created by supporters of the president last fall. Supporters have used the page to encourage support for Holland ahead of the meeting, urging people to contact Bentley, the superintendent of education and the trustees on the president’s behalf.

The full board of trustees is scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. today in the Bell Conference Center on the UWA campus.

Reach Ed Enoch at ed.enoch@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0209.

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